Accordingly the invention also relates to a method for milking a cow, by using a robot for automatically handling milking cups that are near to the cow, wherein the robot handles the milking cups between a first resting position and a second operational position in which the milking cups connect to the cow's teats for collecting milk.
A robot in accordance with the preamble is known from European patent application EP-A-1 447 002. This prior art document generally shows that it is known to use a robot for placing milking cups by collecting the milking cups from a milking rack and subsequently place them on the teats of a cow for collecting milk.
In the prior art the cow stands still in a so called milking box in which the movements of the cow are limited by fences. In such a position it is relatively easy to place the milking cups on the teats. The production rate of this known system is, however, relatively low in view of the fact that it is only possible to milk one cow at. a time.
In order to increase the production rate it is also known to employ milking robots which are capable of dealing with the partly simultaneous milking of fifty to sixty cows.
Another prior art system that is known employs a rotor on which the cows are placed and on which the cows are milked in a preselected time frame. In this known system a disadvantage is, however, that the milking cups are placed manually. Due thereto in this system with a cow's rotor, the milking of cows is still quite laborious.